1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with fuel products formed from livestock waste and processes for making and using the fuel products. More particularly, the products are formed by blending a quantity of solid components derived from livestock waste with a second waste product different from the livestock solid waste components. Suitable livestock wastes include cattle manure, swine manure, poultry manure, and mixtures thereof while suitable second waste products include sawdust, hay or straw, paper or paper products, seasonal grasses, and mixtures of the foregoing. The blended mixture is then preferably pelletized and can be heated so as to yield high quantities of energy without emitting large quantities of pollutants.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are large quantities of waste generated by livestock each year that must be disposed of in a safe manner. However, there are limited options for disposing of this material, particularly in hog production operations where large numbers of hogs are raised in a confined area. An extremely large quantity of hog manure is produced daily in these facilities, resulting in an often unbearable stench for those living near the facilities. Currently, these wastes are usually stored in lagoons or the like. However, lagoons and other current methods do not eliminate the odor problems associated with the livestock operations. Furthermore, current disposal/storage methods run the risk of contaminating the air, land, and water near the site.
At the same time, increasing quantities of fossil fuels are utilized each year for various things such as electricity production, heating, and transportation needs. There are continual efforts by various environmentally-minded groups to encourage the decreased consumption of fossil fuels in order to preserve the limited quantity of the fuels as well as to decrease the quantity of pollutants produced by burning the fuels. While these efforts have had some success, there is always the need for additional processes and products which utilize energy sources other than fossil fuels.
There is a need for products and processes which can utilize livestock and other wastes for producing energy. These products and processes should produce minimal quantities of pollutants while minimizing or eliminating the odor from the waste.